Window socket wrench



April 22, 1941. J. F. BUTLER EI'AL 2,239,543

wnwbw SOCKET WRENCH Filed Feb. 20, 1939 ATTORNEY and Patented Apr. 22, 1941 WINDOW SOCKET WRENCH Joseph F. Butler and Raymond J. Butler,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application February 20, 1939, Serial No. 257,379

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in socket wrenches for drawin polygonal nuts on bolts, and the primary object of the invention is the provision of windows in the sidewalls of such wrenches whereby the cotter key opening is visible through the window, regardless of the position of engagement of the wrench and nut.

A further object of the invention is to provide elongated windows or slots in the sidewalls of socket wrenches of such dimension as to provide a maximum cross-sectional area of metal through the transverse section in which the windows are located to avoid failure of the wrench when subjected to hard use.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of windows in the walls of a polygonal socket wrench, which windows are symmetrically arranged in angularly spaced relation to embrace within their length two jaws for engaging the corners of a hexagonal nut, whereby the cotter key opening in the nut will always register with one of the window openings of the wrench in any position in which the nut can be engaged by the wrench.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof in which like reference characters designate like parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a socket 7 wrench embodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 a vertical cross-sectional view thereof;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 cross-sectional views taken along the line 3-4, Fig. 2.

In the drawing, the numeral I generally designates a socket wrench having a hollow interior provided with jaws 2 engaging the corners 3 of hexagonal or other polygonal shaped screw nuts, such as the nut 4. Windows 5 are provided in the sidewall of the socket wrenches, the windows being of elongated form, there being three windows symmetrically spaced, each window being of a length to include two of the notches or jaws 2 of the wrench. By means of this relationship of the window to the angularly spaced jaws of the wrench, at least one of the cotter key openings i will at all times be in register with the window of the wrench so that the operator can visualize the position of the cotter key opening 8 relative to the cotter key hole I of the bolt 8 on which the nut is being drawn. It will be seen from Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive\that regardless 2 Claims.- (01. 81-121) of the position of the socket wrench on the nut I, the cotter key opening I of the bolt will always register with a window of the wrench when the opening 6 of the nut is in register or alignment therewith.

In nuts of the type employing cotter keys there are three transverse holes forming six openings, one on each face of the hexagonally shaped nut. By means of the present invention providing for the use of two jaws in each window opening, it is impossible to obtain what would be termed a blind spot as there will always be one full opening of the nut in register with each of the three windows of the socket wrench.

As will be clear from Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawing, if the nut is engaged by one of the two J'aws in the window, the cotter key opening of the nut will be in alignment with the other jaw of the window. Thus, for example, in Fig. 3 the cotter key opening is in alignment with the jaw on the righthand side of the window opening, whereas in Fig. 4 the cotter key opening of the nut is in alignment with the law on the lefthand side of the window opening. From this, it is clear that irrespective of how the socket wrench is placed on the nut, there will be an alignment of one of the six cotter key openings with each of the three windows of the socket wrench.

We are aware that other window type wrenches have been heretofore proposed, but none of them embody the specific relationship of length of window and spacing of window to embrace within their span two notches or jaws of the socket wrench whereby it is impossible to cover up the cotter key opening in any position of the wrench in relation to the nut with which it engages.

We claim:

1. A socket wrench having a plurality of angularly spaced elongated windows of a length to embrace two notches or jaws of the wrench whereby to maintain alignment of a cotter key opening of the nut with each window when the wrench is engaged regardless of the position in which the wrench may be placed on the nut.

2. A- socket wrench. having three angularly spaced elongated windows of such length and so located with reference to the jaws of the wrench that for any position of the wrench on the nut, each of said windows will be in alignment with a cotter key opening of the nut.

JOSEPH F. BUTLER. RAYMOND J. BUTLER. 

